The actress added that her decision to open up on the incident was to warn parents of children seeking a career in television and films for their kids.
Veteran actress Daisy Irani reveals she was sexually abused at age 6
Mumbai - 23 Mar 2018 11:30 IST
Updated : 12:32 IST
Our Correspondent
Veteran actress and one-time child star, Daisy Irani, has spoken out about the secret cases of child-abuse prevalent in the Hindi film industry. In a recent interview with Mumbai Mirror, a daily tabloid, Daisy revealed that she had been sexually abused at the age of six by a family friend who also accompanied her on film sets as a guardian.
"The man who did this was supposed to be my guardian. He accompanied me to a film shoot (Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke — 1957) in Madras. One night in the hotel room he violated me, hit me with a belt and warned me that he would kill me if I ever told anyone about what had happened," the actress said in the interview.
The accused in question, Nazar, was related to the singer Zohrabai Ambalewali, and is now dead.
The actress also revealed another incident where a producer of a film attempted to molest her in her later years. The actress added that her decision to open up on this incident was to warn parents of children seeking a career in television and films for their kids.
The veteran actress made her entry in Hindi cinema as a child artiste and was part of iconic films like Jagte Raho (1956), Naya Daur (1957) and Dhool Ka Phool (1959), among many others.
Daisy is screenwriter Honey and Menka's sister. Honey is the mother of filmmakers Zoya and Farhan Akhtar, while Menka is the mother of directors Farah and Sajid Khan.
The actress retired from films in the 1970s, only to return to the small screen in the comedy series, Dekh Bhai Dekh in 1993. The actress was last seen in nephew Sajid Khan's Housefull (2010), and niece Farah Khan's acting debut, Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012). Her last acting role was in Farah's Happy New Year (2014), which also starred Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
Daisy's revelation comes on the heels of accusations against veteran actor Jeetendra for allegedly molesting his cousin in a hotel room 47 years ago. An FIR has been filed by the Shimla police, but the Himachal high court stayed proceedings on the investigation last week.
